Saxon Heroines: A Northumbrian Novel

by Sandra Wagner-Wright

Overview

"Old gods fall as Christianity rises across Northern Europe with a fair amount of help from the women behind the scenes, the wielders of true power." -Chanticleer Reviews

"...dramatically gripping novel... A captivating account of the lives of extraordinary women in perilous times." -Kirkus

Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory's The White Queen and Sandra Gulland's The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.

"[A] fascinating story of upheaval in early Britain...Historical fiction readers will be absorbed by this intricate tale of memorable Northumbrian women fighting for change." -BookLife

"Men have had the first and last word for too long. In Sandra Wagner-Wright's Saxon Heroines, we get to hear from the powerful women of the early medieval world. Well researched, well detailed, and a compelling story make it an enjoyable fresh take on medieval historical fiction." -Alex Telander, San Francisco Book Review

"[A] brilliant recreation of the lives of inspiring heroines from seventh-century Northumbria." -Readers' Favorite

Seventh century Northumbria, the damp kingdom north of the River Humber, is a land dominated by ambitious kings and conflicting gods struggling for dominance.

Four royal women using their wits and charm guide the warring kingdoms into the new Christian age. Queen Ethelberga encourages Edwin of Northumbria to convert to Christianity. Abbess Hild becomes the most powerful female church leader in Northumbria and sponsors the great Synod of Whitby at her abbey. Princess Enfleda weds King Oswy of Northumbria and supports the young church. Her daughter, the Abbess Elfleda, brings together one united Church in Northumbria.

​​​​​​​If you enjoy books by Jayne Castel, you will enjoy reading about these royal women in Anglo-Saxon Northumbria

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781735413204
Publisher:	Wagner Wright Enterprises
Publication date:	02/16/2021
Series:	Women of Determination and Courage , #3
Pages:	242
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

Sandra writes historical fiction about courageous women who overcame discrimination. She also writes a weekly blog with entries relating to history, her travel experiences, and other topics that catch her attention. For more information about Sandra, visit her website www.sandrawagnerwright.com.

Editorial Reviews

2021-04-30
A historical novel set in seventh-century England follows a new queen and the women of her court as they struggle to survive and prosper.

Princess Ethelberga of Kent marries King Edwin of Northumbria to form a political alliance between Edwin and her brother, Eadbald, the King of Kent. She’s disgusted by Northumbria, which she sees as a coarse backwoods, and by her new husband, an unrefined warrior who’s perpetually in search of new wars. However, she’s intent on securing a future for herself, so she plans to give the king an heir. Also, with the encouragement of Pope Boniface and the helpful machinations of Bishop Paulinus, she aims to convince Edwin to convert to Christianity and abandon his allegiance to Woden and other pagan gods, to whom he attributes his military fortunes. In addition, Ethelberga decides to teach the women of her kingdom to read, including Princess Hildeburg, Edwin’s young niece. Wagner-Wright, in the third installment of her series, chronicles the trials of Ethelberga and the women surrounding her as they attempt to carve out meaningful lives in a male-dominated world. The author’s command of the historical period is magisterial, and she paints a lively, even terrifying picture of an England riven by tribalistic conflicts, fleeting alliances, and bloodthirsty monarchs. Furthermore, she thoughtfully captures the religious conflicts of the time and the ways in which they feed into political and territorial ones; as Hildeburg aptly puts it, “When gods dispute, kings die.” Ethelberga, in particular, emerges as a memorable heroine; even after she faces a major tragedy and a siege of Northumbria, leaving her a “displaced queen,” she displays remarkable resilience and shrewd, calculating intelligence. Wagner-Wright has a tendency to freight the reader with an excess of detail—particularly when it comes to the labyrinthine political entanglements that are central to the novel—but this dramatically gripping novel is worth readers’ effort.

A captivating account of the lives of extraordinary women in perilous times.

Kirkus Reviews